Puppets of Fate
by Ideria Hialla
Summary: What if "Sock Opera" didn't turn in our heroes' favor? What if Bill -or Bipper- had won? What would've happen to Dipper? To Mabel? Or their closed ones? Follow the Pine Twins, apart for the first time, forced to face the consequences of their actions, and going against forces beyond them in order to find a way to reunite... [Spoilers for Season 2]
1. Intro

_A/N: Hello ! I wanted to post this story a long time ago. This story is a fanfiction based on Gravity Falls. All characters and locations belong to Alex Hirsch and Disney. _ _The story will contain spoilers of season 2. I highly recommand you go watch it before you read it. Thanks for you comprehension, and I'll hope you'll enjoy. _

* * *

_A breeze pierced the night through Gravity Falls. The strange creatures were finally able to lurk outside, after a never ending day. While the locals slept, the town were theirs to claim. In the dark, they moved across streets without being spotted. Never breaking the silence, never bothering anyone. _

_In the silence, he moved forward, going through the sames streets. Others didn't see him. They couldn't see him. He didn't stop in his trail, never making any sound. Never being seen. _

_After all that time, he learned to ignore others, forcing himself not to give them any attention. He wasn't there for them, and already knew none of them would pay attention to a ghost. _

_A 'ghost'. That would've been better than this. But ghost were able to be seen. What was he then? _

_A memory, a shadow __condemned to live in silence. _

_He couldn't help but think about the person he was just a few weeks prior. _

_He was Dipper Pines, a 12 year old boy, always looking for adventure, seeking the oddities of this town. He had a life, a family, friends. But now… all of this was gone. He was a mere soul without a body, stuck on another plane of reality, roaming through the streets in search of any sign of hope. _

_Alone. _

_Every day, every hour passed was more and more suffocating. Time passed relentlessly. Everything kept repeating._

_It was so much to handle..._

_Until he broke down_

_That night, in this very street, he finally broke down. He curled up in a ball and started to moan, cry, and finally scream. His cries tore into the silence. He begged, hoping that someone, anyone in this town would hear him. That someone would help him._

_But nobody heard._

_The same question kept repeating in his head:_

"_How did things get so wrong?" _


	2. Chapter 1

Mabel hurried to retrieve the journal. The sooner she'd get that dumb book, the sooner she could return to finish her play before anyone would even notice Dipper had taken her place.

Well, as soon as she would help him find a way to get his body back.

She finally reached the catwalk, relieved to see the journal was still sitting inside the giant cake. Maybe Bill didn't even know it was here. Mabel climbed over the edge, reaching for the book :

"Come on, Come on!'

Much to her surprise, her other hand slipped. She crumbled into the wooden cake. Not able to support that much weight, the rope holding the cake broke down.

Plummeting down, Mabel screamed. Fortunately, the fall stopped before she hit the stage, or being noticed at all. She could hear her brother continuing with the play.

Her savior was now pulling the cake back up. She sighed in relief before immediately opening the journal. She would thank this guardian angel later.

The solution to their current situation had to be written down.

\- Come on, come on now, there must be a way to get Dipper's body back!

\- Oho, but why would you want to do that? Answered a familiar voice.

Mabel looked up, to realise her "guardian angel" was no other than Bill himself.

\- Bill Dipper!... Bipper.

The name had just popped into her mind. It seemed appropriated.

"Bipper" drew a finger to his lips, signing her to be quiet:

\- Shh! You wouldn't want to ruin the show… He pointed out Gabe, the boy whom Mabel had planned this play for in the first place.

She indeed didn't want her only shot to be wasted. Until now, he had enjoyed the show. She would not have any other chance at th-

"Whoops!"

For a few seconds, Mabel fell again, shouting in fear as she did. Bill had let go of the rope, likely to get her full attention. She glared at him as he asked, amused:

\- It's slipping! How's about you hand that book over?

\- No way! This is Dipper's! I'd never give it away! She answered, holding the book close to her.

\- Hmm, you didn't seem to have a problem taking it for your own play"; Replied her possessed brother has he pulled her up again; "Or ditching him when he needed you. So come to your senses: Give me the book or your play is ruined!

Mabel sighed, resigned. Bill had the upper ground, there was no other way out of this predicament. She didn't wanted to give in, but she had no choice. She reluctantly began handing over the book.

\- There it is. I mean, who would sacrifice everything they've worked for just for their dumb sibling?

This question struck Mabel. Because this time, she knew the answer. There was only one person she knew capable of this kind of sacrifice. One person who had already gave up too much for her. In this moment, she suddenly realised it was time for her to return the favor. Filled with determination, she raised her head, and firmly answered:

\- ...Dipper would.

\- Huh?

She pulled on her side in attempt to make him tumble over to her.

When she tried, Bill quickly tugged on his side as well.

\- Hey ! No Take-Backs !

Much to Mabel's surprise, his grip on the rope loosened as he pulled harder. When her chest hit against the catwalk barrier, the book slipped from her grasp.

\- You're making me mad, Shooting Star ! Bill snapped.

Mabel rose up once more, ready to fight for her brother's belonging.

Unfortunately, the demon had enough:

\- Have it your way ! Don't say I didn't warn you !

Without letting her time to reach him, he let got of the rope.

This time, Mabel fell, without anything stopping her. She screamed as she felt the ground dangerously closing in.

In an instant, the play and the puppets were crushed, along the stage

Confusion filled the room, before the young girl who had just fallen screamed in pain. She couldn't move, a sharp pain piercing through her shoulder as she lied on stage, agonizing.

In a few instants, Grunkle Stan was on stage, soon followed by Soos and Wendy, all had witnessed the fall.

They asked her questions, looked for an explanation for what had just happened. But she couldn't hear them. She didn't listen.

Pain was invading her mind. When they tried to move her, she cried out. Her entire body aching. Her shoulder hurted. Between her cries, she could overhear Stan ordering Soos to call an ambulance, then her friends, Candy and Grenda, come to her, trying to calm her down, distracting her. Even Gabe had come to check on her.

But nothing helped. She felt only pain.

Dipper had witnessed everything, powerless, panicked. He didn't knew what to do. He had gotten out of the puppet's bodies just in time to avoid getting crush.

When he saw his sister lying on stage, crying in pain, he panicked. He called Stan for help, momentarily forgetting that his great uncle couldn't hear him. He couldn't do anything, but watch as Soos called an ambulance, Wendy forcing the confused crowd to back away from the stage, Stan trying to aid his sister, and Mabel crying in pain each time he moved her.

It was all his fault. Mabel suffered because he sent her alone to get her journal.

'The journal!" How could he have forgot? Dipper immediatly looked around the room for the book - and his body -. A terrified scream helped him find both.

At the other end of the stage, one of the main curtain caught on fire. Next to it, his possed body stood, a lighter in one hand - where had he found it?-, and the journal, now burning, in the other.

"NO! THE JOURNAL!"!

Panic broke out in the audience, the fire was spreading _fast._

No one was understanding what was going on anymore.

\- Dipper, what are you doing ?! Wendy shouted.

In response, the possessed body only bursted out into laughter before saying:

\- Enjoy the End of the Show!

He threw the burning journal into a box full of pyrotechnics that Mabel had saved for the finale, before running away through the door.

\- WATCH OUT!

\- AAAAH!

\- EVERYBODY DOWN!

The box exploded, sending fireworks in every direction as everyone covered themselves. Soon, the whole room was covered in flames. The crowd rushed through the exit as the fire started to ravage the theater.

Stan hurried to get out, Mabel in his arms, Soos, Wendy, and everyone that had stayed with them close behind.

Everyone but Dipper. He stood there, staring at the chaos he had unleashed. Because of him, the puppet show his sister had worked so hard for the past week was ruined. And in the end, they couldn't even save the journal, now lying in flames. Everything they had worked for gone into ashes. They had failed to stop Bill.

'_Bill'._ Dipper clenched his fist.

The demon had fled, but he couldn't get away with this. Even if the day was ruined, Dipper had to stop him before he caused any more problems. After giving a last glance upon his journal, powerless to save it, before going after his stolen body, without looking back.


	3. Chapter 2

As he exited the Theater, Dipper quickly got surprised by how many people were gathered in front of the building. Most of them weren't even present for the show. They had just came here to try to understand what was going on. But it wasn't helping at all to locate Bill. Where was he?

Dipper frowned, all this noise, it was distracting. The crowd allowed his possessed body to hide.

He had no choice but to float above everyone. A few minutes later, he finally spotted the demon, strolling through an alley. Dipper didn't hesitate, and hurried towards his body.

\- BILL !

As he heard his name, the demon glanced to see his "puppet"'s disembodied soul. Proudly, he cackled:

\- Hey there, Pinetree ! Did you enjoy the show ?

\- Give me back my body now !

\- Your sister didn't give me enough time to practise, so the ending was all'improvviso ! I thought it was smashing. Your sis' didn't seem too fond of it though.

Anger took over, Dipper snapped, his voice raising:

\- You made her fall ! She broke her bones !

\- Yeah, too bad. Not as durable as I thought, huh?

He gave Dipper a disturbing smile, before resuming to march forward. The young boy clenched his fist, and shouted in rage as he tried to hit his body, in hopes of kicking the demon out.

Nothing happened, he just went through it. Upon this failed attempt, Bill sneered:

\- The Mindscape doesn't work this way, kid. Hitting your own body? That's pretty stupid.

\- Give me back my body !

\- We had a deal, Pine Tree. I asked for a puppet. You really need to learn to accept your end of the bargain.

Dipper was taken aback by Bill's words. _He_ was the one who had to respect the deal?

\- Excuse me ? I asked you for the password. Last time I checked, I don't recall ever getting that !

Bill smirked :

\- Actually, you didn't ask for the password.

\- ...What?

\- In fact, you didn't ask for _anything._

\- Yes I did !

\- I told you I _could_ give you a hint, kid. I asked you for a puppet, but _you_ didn't ask me _to do_ anything in return.

Dipper found himself unable to answer. The truth struck him as he realised how manipulated he had been.

"And you're supposed to be the smart guy" Bill Continued.

The young boy clenched his fist in rage, angry at himself for letting Bill make a fool out of him. With nothing left to answer, he asked again :

\- ...Give me back my body, Bill. You won, you don't need it anymore !

Bill continued to walk as he answered:

\- Let's see... No more journal, no more Shooting Star to foil my plans, and no more theater. What more could ask for?

Dipper hesitated, he didn't have any answer. Not that Bill expected him to anyway, making his way through the town.

\- You...You won't get away with this! Mabel will tell everyone what happened ! You won't keep this body much longer, you'll see !

Bill didn't answer. Dipper suddenly realised they had left the streets, to get near the Water Tower. Confusion filled his mind:

Why was Bill going here?

He looked around, searching for an answer, anything to help him understand. But the place was empty. Not a single soul in sight. Just a slight wind, that didn't seem to bother his possessed body.

It was silent. Until Bill decided to speak once more:

\- Do you know what's fun about possessing bodies?

Dipper turned around to see the demon climbing down the tower's ladder. The young boy felt uneasy. This was going out of hand. But since he didn't answer, Bill moved on:

\- What's fun is that you can do…"experiments" without having to worry about the consequences! After all, this isn't _my_ body.

\- Wh-...What are you going to do? Dipper asked, fear invading his mind.

\- Didn't you listen? An experiment. You'll see, it'll be fun ! Well, for me anyway.

Before letting him respond, the demon immediately changed subject as he reached the top:

"Hey, look at this view ! You can see the fire from here!"

He was telling the truth. Smoke from the fire filled the sky from afar. Dipper could even hear the firemen's siren. He couldn't help but think about Mabel, who was still there. He hoped she was out of danger, already on her way to an hospital. He silently begged that no one would've been hurt or worse because of him.

\- Hmm, I think that's high enough.

Dipper turned around, horrified to see that Bill had climbed up on the railing, dangerously leaning toward the ground. The demon stared at him with a disturbing smile. Dipper realised too late what was coming next.

\- NO !

As he desperately tried to reach his body, Bill tipped backward, beginning to fall as he snarked in a cruel and cold voice:

"Race you to the bottom, Pinetree !"


	4. Chapter 3

_"Tragedy struck our town yesterday night, when local Mabel Pines' play was brought to an abrupt end. the young girl injured herself by falling on stage. It wasn't long before fire broke, burning down the theater before the fire-department finally managed to put out the flames. Witnesses reported that the fire was started by none other than Mabel Pines' twin brother, "Dipper" Pines. Relatives close to the suspect stated that the young boy had been acting strange throughout the day. Dipper Pines was found dead this morning, near the water tower, where he presumably ended his own life. The entire town is in mourning, for the tragic loss of the Pines family."_

Mabel sat on her bed, Waddles on her lap, her hand covering her aching face, bursting into tears.

It had been a few hours since the police had called the Mystery Shack. As soon as she had been able to leave the hospital, she could already feel something was very wrong. But she couldn't believe it, her heart shattered to pieces.

Dipper, her twin, her best friend. Dead.

Dead because Mabel hadn't realised he was possessed.

Because she had decided her play was more important than her brother's needs.

Her selfishness had killed Dipper.

The pain was agonizing. How could she had been so insensitive with him? He was dead because of it. There was no going back.

Every single moments they had throughout the summer kept running through her mind. The mini-golf, the parties, the monster hunts, the adventures…

Now, all that remained were memories. Memories tainted by the blood of a dead brother, and the tears of a mourning sister.

The door opened, as Soos and Wendy came in. They were the first to visit her ever since Stan had come earlier this morning to tell her the news. The old man remained by her side during the first hours, and had just left a few minutes earlier.

As soon as she saw them, Mabel wiped her tears, trying not to look so...devastated.

\- Wh...What do y-you want?

That sounded colder than she intended to, but she really wanted to be left alone.

Wendy came to sit next to her.

\- We came to see how you're…

She paused, unable to finish her sentence.

"...How's your arm?"

Mabel glanced at the shoulder splint that was now immobilizing her left arm. According to the doctors, she would have to keep it for at least 6 weeks. She wouldn't be able to write draw, or even for the rest of the summer.

\- T-That's not what hurts the most. She answered, tears running down her face.

Wendy and Soos exchanged concerned looks. Soos pulled a small paper out of his pocket before handing it to Mabel, his hand shaking a bit as he said:

\- Look, Mabel...I...I know this really is not the time to show you this but… Well I found this note this morning...in my car. And the thing is: I think it's Dipper who wrote it.

She raised her head as her brother was mentioned, taking the paper in her own hand. As she was about to open it, Wendy's hand fell on her shoulder:

\- Before you read it...I...don't know what happened with Dipper yesterday...why he did...

She paused, unable to finish her sentence.

"Whatever the reason for what happened, I want you to know...We're here for you, Mabel."

Wendy's words made the young girl felt more uneasy than she already was. Finally, she opened the note left in the car. It wasn't her brother's handwriting. But it wasn't hard to guess who had left it.

_"Note to self: Possessing people is hilarious! To think of all the sensations I've been missing out on- burning, stabbing, drowning. It's like a buffet tray of fun! Once I destroy that journal, I'll enjoy giving this body its grand finale- by throwing it off the water tower! Best of all, people will just think Pine Tree lost his mind, and his mental form will wander in the mindscape forever. Want to join him, Shooting Star?"_

Line by line, Mabel shivered, her hand shaking. As soon as she finished reading, she threw the note, enraged, before breaking down in tears between Soos's and Wendy's arms.

She kept sobbing, yelling that what had happened was unfair, that Dipper didn't deserve to die. That it wasn't his fault. If Wendy was able to keep herself together, trying to be strong for Mabel, Soos could not, and silently broke into tears as well.

They both stayed silent. Nothing was left to say. Whatever the words, nothing would change.

The harm had been done.

Stan sat in the living, the phone resting in his hand. When the police had first called, he didn't believe it.

Dipper hadn't come back after last night, and Stan couldn't leave Mabel alone after her fall. So as soon as he had heard the boy's name on the phone, he had jumped in his car to rush where they had taken his body.

"It can't be him" had he begged.

But when he arrived, his hopes were shattered to pieces. The dead body the police had found was indeed Dipper's.

Stan felt responsible for everything that had happened. He hadn't asked what had happened to Mabel when they got out of the hospital, out of fear she might still be shaken by her injury.

But he felt that if he did, maybe he could have prevented his death.

At this point, the police was convinced Dipper had committed suicide. That his paranoïa had driven him insane.

Stan couldn't believe it. Dipper's lack of sleep, his strange and sudden behavior, his death...Deep down, he knew that it was all connected somehow. How could he had not seen it before now?

The town weirdness had killed the boy. Everyone had noticed Dipper wasn't himself that night. So why hadn't he done anything?

The fire, the laugh...He could still hear it. It was haunting.

Had he stayed so much time obsessing over what was going down in the Shack's basement he couldn't even pay attention to his niece and nephew?

As he was drawn from his thoughts by Mabel's cries, he took a deep breath, gathering all the courage he could before dialing the twins' parents' number. He had to tell them. Could he really do it? What choice did he have?

As the phone rang, he muttered:

\- ...Why couldn't you just listen to me when I asked you to be careful, kid…?

The ringing echoed across the room for a moment, before he finally heard:

"Hello?"


	5. Chapter 4

Dipper was paralysed. Horrified.

When "Bipper" had let himself fall, Dipper had tried to reach for his body. But he wasn't quick enough. He could do nothing more than hear the demon's laughter as he escaped from the body just before impact and disappeared.

Then came the loud sound of his body's bones breaking as it hit the ground.

Dipper had been helpless. He could only stare the corpse lying in front of him, covered in bruises, covered in blood..

His own corpse.

"No, no, no, no! This isn't happening, this isn't happening!"

He kept repeating those words again and again like a broken record. He started panicking, unable to calm himself, to say anything else

He had tried to get back into his body. But it wouldn't work. He couldn't revive it.

After an hour spent desperately trying, he finally realised it was hopeless.

He was dead.

As he finally gave up, he just stood there, paralysed in front of his corpse. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't look away.

Hours passed until his body was found by Nate and Lee walking nearby. He hadn't moved. Neither when the police arrived.

He wasn't even sure he was staring his body anymore. But he really couldn't bring himself to look away.

It wasn't until his body was taken away that finally, he was able to break free of this state. He had stayed several hours without moving an inch. Severals questions struck his mind:

What am I going to do now?

What's going to happen to me?

Aren't I dead? Why am I still here now?

Am I a ghost now?

How will I explain this to the others?

He felt his heart ache as he realised: his friends...How would they react to him being dead? and what and most importantly...what about his family? His parents, his great uncle...His sister…?

Stan and Mabel must had been worried sick not to see him return home last night, and now, they were going to learn that he was dead.

The strangest thing was that he didn't feel dead. But without a body, he wasn't alive. So he felt split between the two, unable to decide which was right to describe his current state.

Was it how ghost felt? Unable to tell whether they were alive or not?

There had to be a way to fix this, and he had to find it fast. Everything had turned out for the worst, but maybe, if he felt more alive than dead, that there might still be a hope to save himself? But how was he to do that? The journal had burned.

He could still see it all. The fire, the theater, his sister's play, ruined…

The puppets! If one of them had survived, he could be able to reach Mabel, Stan or even Soos, and tell them that he wasn't gone and that he needed help. It wasn't much, but it was worth the try.

Without any other idea in mind, he left the water tower, too afraid to be haunted by the memory of Bill throwing his body and the smoke from the fire to look back…

As frustrated as he was to not have a body, Dipper had to admit it was slightly more fast that walking on foot. In just a few minutes, he had reached his destination. He entered the theater. It felt uneasy. The seats, the curtains, all the accessories they had spent the week to work on, burnt to ashes.

There was nothing left of the journal either.

If I hadn't been so obsessed, none of this would have happened.

He shook his head, trying not to think about it, and started looking for a puppet.

He searched on stage, backstage, but there was nothing.

"Give up. It's no use" a small voice in his mind said.

He refused to listen to it. There had to be something. Even just a leftover sock. The fire couldn't have destroyed everything!

He searched, again and again. If he had been able do dig through the ruins, he would have done it.

Half and hour later, he finally gave up. Nothing remained of the mess he had made. Without any idea left, he resigned to go back to the Shack. The least he could do was watch over his sister, and who know? Maybe she had saved a puppet during the whole incident?

As soon as Stan entered the room, wearing an apologetic look on his face, Mabel already knew he wasn't bringing any good news. Wendy and Soos both waited for him to talk first.

\- ...Look, can you give me a moment alone with the kid? He asked.

\- Oh..Sure, . We... We'll be right outside if you need us.

The Shack's employees left the room, as Waddles went to sit in another corner.

Stan sat next to his niece. For a moment, no words were heard. It was the only break they would be given from this mess. Eventually, Stan begin to speak.

\- ...So. How...How are you holding up?

When she didn't answer, he decided to change subjects.

\- Does your shoulder still hurts?

\- ...N-No...Not much now...

Stan let out a sight before finally talking:

\- ...I just spoke to your parents… They...They'll come to bring you back home tomorrow.

Mabel suddenly turned to Stan :

\- What? But Grunkle Stan! I-I don't want to l-leave n-now !

\- It's not up to me to decide. Besides...It's for the best.

\- T-That's n-not t-true ! The young girl retorted as tears filled her eyes.

He put a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down as he continued to speak:

\- I really thought I could do it, Pumpkin. I really thought I could keep you both safe from the dangers of this town...But in the end, I couldn't even protect him.

\- Grunkle Stan, t-this isn't y-your fault! ...y-you have nothing t-to do with this !

He let out a second sigh, before moving on:

\- ...I'd like to know what I can tell your parents...or rather...What I can't tell them.

Mabel fell silent, as she understood Stan didn't have any other choice: Her parents wouldn't believe her if she told them the truth. How could they, if even her had trouble to understand this town?

Whatever she would tell them, they would blame Stan for not having taking better care of Dipper.

This was unfair. She didn't want to go away. But what else could she do?

She realised Stan was waiting for an answer. She wiped her tears, and told him everything.

She told him about the adventure in the bunker. About the computer they had found. About Dipper's obsession with cracking its password.

She told him about Dipper's dream, their argument and Bill's trap until their confrontation in the theater.

She started crying:

\- I-I-If I h-hadn't been s-so obsessed b-b-by this stupid play, D-Dipper would s-still be...

Then she broke down again:

\- I-I'M THE ONE….I'M THE O-ONE WHO K-KILLED DIPPER...G-GRUNKLE STAN! she yelled.

Stan took her in his arms, gently stroking her hair, holding her close to him.

This isn't your fault, Mabel...I should have never left you with this book...I should have know Dipper would end up putting himself in danger like that...That he would be messing with this stuff...He's too much like…

He never ended this sentence. But he didn't need to. Mabel wasn't listening anymore as she kept crying. So he kept her in his arms, waiting for her cries to fade away. Then he would tell the others about the parent's decision:

Mabel's summer was over.


	6. Chapter 5

On his way home, Dipper felt dizzy. Back when his body and mind had first been separated, the thought of stopping Bill to reclaim his body had been the only thing on his mind.

But now that he wasn't fighting anymore, he could finally see how big, empty and silent the Mindscape _truly was._

As he arrived at the Shack, the first thing he heard were his sister's cries. He hurried back to the room. If it wasn't for the fact that Mabel wouldn't hear him, he would have shouted « I'm still here ! I'm not completely gone yet ! »

He entered the attic, and gazed upon his sister, crying between Stan's arms, as the old man tried to comfort her. Dipper felt his heart ache. He didn't want to see her like that. He wanted so badly to reassure her.

Unable to do anything, he could only watch. When his sister finally calmed down, someone knocked on the door. As Stan left the room, Dipper floated to his sister's side.

'Oink !'

It was Waddles, at the bottom of the bed, his head slightly leaning on one side. Dipper's eyes lit up.

Could Waddles see him ?

\- Hey, Can you…hear me ?

\- Oink !

\- You can hear me ?! he repeated, shocked.

This time, no response.

\- Waddles…?

\- Oiiink… ! answered the pig as he tried to climb up to his owner.

Dipper realised that no, the pig couldn't see or hear him either. He started to laugh, nervously.

\- Ha, Ha, Great…I'm starting to talk to pigs, now...

He looked at his sister as she let herself slide from the bed to sat on the floor next to her pig. She winced as her broken arm pushed against the bed's wood, and finally let out a sight.

\- What am I going to do, Waddles ? I-…I know Grunkle Stan doesn't h-have a choice but... I don't want to leave Gravity Falls…

« Leave Gravity Falls ? » Dipper repeated.

Before he could process his sister's words, someone knocked on the door again. Candy and Grenda entered the room, carrying a single box.

\- Hey, Mabel, Can…Can we come in ?

The young girl nodded, silent. She seemed completely exhausted. Grenda gently put the box near her.

\- What's this ? Mabel asked.

\- It's…It's all we were able to save from the fire…I'm sorry your night…didn't go as planned…

Hearing this, Mabel hesitated before opening the box.

Dipper was disappointed to see that there was no puppets. A few props, the keyboard, a few costume…and Dipper's clothes.

He turned to his sister, worried. She was shaking as she took his hat in her hand. Tears were already coming up again, she bit her lips to keep herself from crying

Then she dropped the hat on the ground, rubbing her eyes. Her eyes were sore, she simply didn't have enough strength to break down again.

\- ….I…We're sorry, Mabel, we shouldn't ha-

\- No…It…It's not your fault…I'll…I'll see you later…thanks…

One could easily tell she wasn't being sincere. As Grenda and Candy left, Dipper decided to stick with his sister. Nothing would stop him from watching over her. He followed her as she went down to have dinner.

Everything was silent. Even when they finished eating, it took a few moments before Stan decided to speak with her again, asking her not to rush herself, that she would have plenty of time to pack her things. Not a single word was heard from her throughout the evening.

Dipper couldn't stop feeling guilty, having placed his twin in this situation to begin with.

As Mabel went to bed, he stayed by her side. Her grief had completely drained her energy, but it still kept her awake. That and of course her broken arm.

Dipper hoped, that by staying close, she would feel his presence, be reassured he was there and fall asleep without being tormented by her feelings. That's all he could do right now. Hope.

When she finally drifted off, he felt relieved. He could put his mind to something else.

His sister's words echoed through his mind.

« I don't want to leave Gravity Falls

This couldn't be happening. Mabel was going to leave. In his current state, he wouldn't be able to follow a car all the way to California. But what could he do ? The mere thought of his twin going home alone made his heart ache. They had never really been apart before. But how was he to prove anyone that he wasn't gone ?

The puppets had burned, he had to find another way to communicate with his sister.

He dug through his mind, looking for a clue, anything to find the solution to his situation.

The only lead he found were Bill's mocking words :

« Without a 'vessel' to possess, you're basically a ghost ! »

A ghost… The first thing that came into his mind was the memory of the haunted grocery store.

Maybe the ghost he met there would see him, and show him how to communicate with the living !

It was worth the try.

He gazed at his sister, not wanting to leave her alone. But it was for his family's sake.

\- Mabel, I'm sorry I put us in this mess. I'm going to fix everything, I promise you.

She wouldn't hear him, but he didn't care, leaving the house not wanting to waste any time. He was making this promise to her, and to himself.

He was going to fix everything.


	7. Chapter 6

_A/N: Howdy ! I'm sorry this took this long for me to continue. With COVID-19 on the loose it was kinda nuts for everyone... But I won't let this story to rot. I've never done more research to write a fanstory so i won't let my efforts go to waste. Hope you'll enjoy ! _

_English isn't my native language so I'm sorry for any grammar or spelling mistake_

* * *

Dipper hadn't realised how long it had taken for Mabel to fall asleep. It was Moonset by the time he finally found his way back to the store.

The place was empty He still remembered that night. Back when he pretended to be 13 just to impress and hang out with Wendy and her friends. As far as he knew, no one had dared coming back to this store ever since the whole mess with the ghosts had happened. But now, it wasn't time to back down...

Without hesitation, he entered the store through the walls. At least it was easier than entering through the vents.

« Hello ? Is someone there ? »

No answer. He started roaming through the aisles,

« Anyone ? »

Clang !

Startled by the sudden sound, Dipper turned around. Only to be disappointed when his eyes fell on the empty can now rolling on the floor. No ghost, only a mess.

Hoping the ghost would show up, he decided to wait.

An hour later, there were still no sign of ghost activity. Where were they ? The sun would rise soon, and he didn't want to take any risk, fearing that by sunlight, there wouldn't be any ghost left.

That's when it he remembered :

The cemetery ! Why hadn't he thought of that sooner ? Surely the place was crawling with ghosts ! He hurried outside, giving the "Dusk 2 Dawn" a last glance before leaving.

When he reached his destination, it was almost dawn. He had barely any time left before the sun would rise. First, there was nothing.

He believed to be too late, until he heard whispers all around him. Dipper then realised he was surrounded by ghost. Several of them he remembered documented in the journal. Categories 1, 2, a few 5. To his relief, no Category 10, probably for the best.

There were less ghost than tombstones, though. The rest had probably returned to their graves already.

It was now or never if he wanted to speak with them. Dipper made his way until he reached the middle of the cemetery and shouted :

« Excuse me ! Can any of you help me out ? I'm looking for a way to be seen by my family. »

As soon as his question was asked, he waited patiently for an answer, hoping that the others ghost wouldn't be jerks to him. Only…

There were no answer. Maybe he didn't speak loud enough ?

« Er…Excuse me ? » he repeated as he approached one of the ghost, who was beating up another one.

Both of them didn't even acknowledge the young boy. Fear crawled back through Dipper. He kept trying, his voice going louder and louder

« Can you hear me ? »

« Anyone ? »

« Please answer me ! »

« I need help to go back to my family ! Please !

« Help me ! »

« Anyone !? »

But...Nobody ever answered his call. None of them seemed able to see or hear him. He could only watch as they made their way back to their tombstones, as the sun rose behind them.

« W-Wait ! »

« N-No ! Come back ! »

« Don't leave ! Stay ! »

« Please… »

« Don't leave me…Alone. »

Before he even realised it, they were all gone. Dipper look down on his hands, shaking. What had Bill done to him ? He wasn't only invisible to his family and friends, but to ghost as well ? What did that even mean ? What would he do now ?

He couldn't help but let out a nervous laugh. But he wasn't amused. He was terrified. It couldn't end like this. There had to be someone, anyone, anything that would be able to see him. He had tried with humans. But what about the others creatures of the town ?

The sun had risen as he went into the forest. He would not let it go, this was the only thing on his mind.

Hours passed.

He traveled through towns, caves, cliffs, the lake, the entire forest.

He tried to be heard by gnomes. He tried to be heard by Manotaurs.

In vain.

Desperate, he tried to reach to any sort of creature that he came across. There had to be someone.

But it was still in vain.

One by one, all of his hopes had been shattered. Nothing was working. Realising he didn't have any idea left on what to do, he panicked.

When he finally managed to calm himself, he realised how deep in the forest he had gotten himself. Where even was he ?

What was he supposed to do now ? Bill had told him he couldn't be heard without a vessel. But where would he find one ? Mabel had no puppet left near her. And it's not like he could possess others, he was no demon.

Dipper shook his head. The mere thought of stealing someone else's body made him sick.

He had no way of stopping Mabel from leaving town now…

Mabel !

The young boy had lost track of time in his desperation. He looked up to the sky only to be horrified when he realised he was already noon. Finding his way back would take time as well. He rushed through the wood, hoping he would find his way back before Mabel left Gravity Falls…


	8. Chapter 7

Mabel finished packing. Her parents would be here any minute now.

Her summer in Gravity Falls really was over.

It had ended along her brother's life.

The others had offered to help her because of her broken arm, but Mabel had refused. She just wanted to be alone.

It took longer than expected, of course. But eventually, every sweater and posters had been folded and stored in her luggage.

Soon, the only thing left was her scrapbook. Mabel sat and opened it, flipping through the pages.

Every summer memory was in it. The first day they arrived in Gravity Falls, the time they went fishing, Summerween… She couldn't help but smile a little as she remembered the good times they had. And when her thoughts trailed to her brother, the smile faded away. As she closed the scrapbook, Mabel looked up to Dipper's side of the room.

His backpack, the bin full of chewed broken pens, his books… Everything was still in place. But it felt so empty without him.

Mabel's heart ached as the time for her to leave without her twin was closing.

Would her summer really end like this ?

Dipper's hat was lying still on the bed where she had put it.

And next to it was the note Bill had left behind.

Mabel stared at it for a moment. Before opening it once more. She didn't know why she wanted to put herself through those words again. Merely holding the note made her eyes tear up.

But maybe she thought she deserved that pain.

So she read the note again, each word soaking in her mind.

_"Best of all, people will just think Pine Tree lost his mind, and his mental form will wander in the mindscape forever. Want to join him, Shooting Star?"_

She crumpled the note, enraged by Bill's twisted words. But just as she was about to throw it away again, she froze.

Mabel reopened the paper. Something had drawn her attention.

She read the same sentence

again

_«people will just think Pine Tree lost his mind, and his mental form will wander in the mindscape forever»_

and again

_«his mental form will wander in the mindscape forever »_

and again

_«his mental form.»_

Her eyes widened, suddenly filled with a new light of hope. She remembered the ghost from the store, the entry from the journals – from what her brother had told her - and the memory of her twin being seperated from his body.

_Could Dipper's « ghost » still be here ?_

If it was, maybe there was still hope to save him ! Maybe he just didn't know how to communicate with her ? Even if she had no puppet left, maybe he wouldn't even need it as a ghost.

Mabel suddenly realised : if there was any hope that Dipper might still be here then…

She couldn't leave Gravity Falls. Not now.

She had just found a glimmer of hope, she couldn't lose it. But how ?

Her parents wouldn't understand. Not after what had happened to Dipper. And Stan…

'_'I don't know what I'd do with myself if you got hurt on my watch''_

That's what he had told them the night they had made the promise to be careful with the journal.

With Dipper's death, Stan undoubtedly refuse to help Mabel too. He wouldn't allow himself to. After all, he already kept secret the real reason Dipper had died, just to keep her parents safe.

In others words…She was on her own.

What could she do ? Mabel started to pace around the room, looking for a solution.

_« C'mon think Mabel, think ! »_

Dipper would probably only appear near his death place, as ghost usually did in stories.

Plus, the mere thought of going to her brother's funeral was too unsettling. It seemed better to stay in Gravity Falls to find a solution and save her brother. But on the other hand, if she was wrong, she wouldn't have any chance of saying goodbye one last time. It would be too late for that.

If only there was a way for her to be at two places at once…

She suddenly recalled the second week following her arrival in Gravity Falls. During that time, Grunkle Stan had thrown a big party.

And with the memories of that party, she saw the answer to her problem.

Without hesitation, she folded Bill's note and put it in her pocket, grabbed her brother's hat and left the room.

There was no time to waste, she had to act quickly.


	9. Chapter 8

The Shacked seemed empty of life as Mabel made her way downstairs. Stan was probably waiting outside for her parents to arrive. It was safe to assume Soos and Wendy were keeping him company as they were nowhere in sight either.

Mabel hurried to her Grunkle's office, locking the door once she entered the room. She hoped it wouldn't take too much time. She wouldn't have any other chance.

Once she made sure no one would interrupt her, she turned to face the solution to her current problem…  
Stan's copy machine.

_"Mabel, I think this copier can copy human beings!"_

That's what Dipper had said.  
He had even tested it on himself that same day, after all.

Without waiting any further, Mabel carefully climbed onto the machine, trying not to make sudden move with her broken arm. Then she lay down :  
_'This is a bad idea.'_ She thought to herself.  
Mabel shook her head. It wasn't time to hesitate.  
As she held close to her chest her brother's hat, she said, out loud :

"Dipper, If you can hear me, know that I'm only doing this to save you, Bro-Bro"

She dropped the hat onto the floor, and activated the copy machine.

* * *

Stan was sitting outside, on the couch placed at the back of the house. Pitt Cola in hand, he took a sip from time to time, his gaze rested on the ground. He had been silent for a while now, and he was getting sick of it. With a sigh, he said :

\- How could I mess up this bad?

Wendy, standing against a wall, exchanged a concerned glance with Soos, who sat next to Stan. She answered :

\- Mr. Pines, stop blaming yourself for what happened...It wasn't your fault.

He didn't answer. He didn't want to go through that conversation again. No matter the words, he would never forgive himself for the loss of a family member..._Not a second time_.

Soos then spoke :

\- Mr. Pines, we were all there that night. Wendy and I even took him to the play… We all saw that Dipper was like...acting super "strange"... We could have said something...acted sooner… We're guilty too...Even more so if you think about it.

\- Soos, Wendy...It's not what I-

\- Then stop blaming yourself alone !" Wendy shouted, her voice cracking. "You're not the only one to be at fault. We all saw something was off, but we did decided to do nothing about it. We could have saved him if only we...had done something..._anything_. We all wish things were different...But they're not.

Stan didn't answer right away. After a few minutes of silence, he let out a sad, nervous laugh, covering his face with one hand. He let out a long sigh, forcing himself to regain his composure as he answered :

\- I'm sorry…

\- ...It's okay ...We're here...

He sighed again. Another voice was then heard :

"Excuse me…"

Stan, Wendy and Soos turned their heads to the person who had just spoke. It was Gabe Bensen, the puppeteer. And he wasn't alone - aside from his hands puppets -. Candy and Grenda were also here.

\- You? What are you doing here?" Wendy asked Gabe, surprised.  
\- I'd like to speak to Mabel. Do you know where I can find her?

\- We want to say goodbye before she leaves." Candy added

Stan stared at them for a moment before answering :

\- She's still inside, packing her things…You can go see her but please...Try not to bring the subject of her brother.

Both girls exchanged looks, and answered :

\- Of course, .

Candy, Grenda and Gabe entered the Shack. They quickly found Mabel, who was just leaving her great uncle's office. As soon as she spotted them, she hurried to close the door behind her and stood in the way, seemingly nervous.

\- Mabel? I thought you were still packing?

\- Hey, girls ! Huh? What? Packing? Ha, er...I...I finished earlier…

\- We...We came to say goodbye, Mabel.

Mabel's nervous smile faded. She walked to her friends.

\- Girls I-...I...

They didn't let her the time to finish her sentence, both coming to hug her.

\- We'll miss you, Mabel." Grenda started.

\- We'll always be your friends." Candy added.

Their words brought tears back to Mabel eyes. But not for the same reasons. Those tears were painful. She was lying to her best friends. She couldn't tell them she planned to stay. At least not now. She hugged them back, before raising her gaze, to see Gabe. How had she not seen him before?

Surprised, she stepped back and said :

\- G-Gabe ?! What are you doing here?

The young puppeteer stepped closer, as Candy and Grenda decided to leave them alone.

\- I'm here to say goodbye as well. We didn't have a chance to talk since...You know.

Mabel's gaze dropped to the ground as she nodded. No need to mention that part.

\- I've been meaning to tell you that...despite all events...I really liked your play. It was really passionate.

The young girl raised her head. Two days ago, those words would made her heart explode in joy. But after the last events, it didn't feel the same...

\- And...I'd like for us to meet again sometime. Maybe even write a puppet show together?" He concluded, handing her a gift box.

She took the box, which had already been half-opened in order to make things easier for her. Inside was a note, with Gabe's number on it. And next to it, a carefully hand-sewn puppet, based of Waddles. Mabel's eyes lit with hope, an unexpected smile came to her lips. She had a way to communicate with her brother again ! Well, if he was still around, of course. With this simple gift, he just gaved her the courage she herself from crying, she held the hand-sewn puppet close to her as she answered.

\- Oh, Gabe, thank you so much. You don't know how much it means to me.

The blond haired boy smiled back. Then she dropped her gaze to the ground again, remembering her mission.

\- Guys...Thank you… all of you...But I need to be alone...Can...Can I have a minute, please? It won't take long... I promise.

After exchanging glances, they all nodded and left the Shack. Mabel wiped her tears, focusing on what mattered now, and opened the office's door again to say

\- Okay, the coast is clear, you can come out now.


	10. Chapter 9

Mabel's plan had worked. She had successfully cloned herself. Several times, just to play it safe. There was no fight among the clones. The plan was clear and there was no place for debacle :

One of the clones would replace her while she found a way to bring her brother back. The other clones would serve as "backup", in case the original clone wouldn't be able to fulfill her mission. Mabel would have until the end of summer to achieve her goal. The odds of a clone surviving past that were too low to take the chance. She couldn't bear the thought of her parents' reaction to potentially seeing what they believed to be their daughter melting before their very eyes if she ever entered in contact with water.

Mabel watched as her parents' car took off, with her first clone. The other clones were hidden for now, and would soon follow by taking the bus.  
She then turned her attention to the backpack she had taken with her. Inside of it was a few clothes, her toothbrush and a blanket.

Mabel had removed her hairband to replace it with her brother's hat, and had taken off her sweater to tie it around her waist. It hadn't been simple thanks to her broken arm but at least she wouldn't have to walk around with an empty sleeve, and besides it was time to stop acting silly. For reals.

There was no going back to the Shack. It was probably for the best to leave Stan outside of this whole mess. She was determined, and nothing would stop her in her mission.

At least, that's what she thought in her first minutes of freedom. It wasn't long before she finally realised what she had just done and several questions struck.

_Where would she go now?_

_What was she going to do?_

_Where would she sleep?_

_How would she eat? or drink?_

She hadn't thought this through. _At all._

« See _that's_ when we'd need your overly complicated list, bro... » She thought to herself.

Mabel had to find somewhere to spend her nights. She didn't even have a tent. She had enough money on herself to buy one but then what about getting food?

It soon became all too clear that no, despite her best intention, she wouldn't be able to do any of this on her own. She was going to need help. But from who? She didn't want to drag Stan into her mission. Asking help from Wendy and Soos was too risky, they were too close to her great uncle. So the next best people left were Candy and Grenda. Surely they would want to help. Or at least, she knew she could persuade them to. It's not like there was much of a choice left anyway.

Once she made up her mind, Mabel didn't waste time and started making her way towards Grenda's house, wondering how she would explain the situation to her best friends...  
It took her half an hour to get there. Her intuition had been right, the two girls were here and luckily, they had just returned from the Mystery Shack. They looked so sad...Mabel couldn't help but feel guilty, after all, from their point of view they had just lost two friends… She didn't want them to look so gloomy any longer, so she stepped out of her hiding spot :

\- "Psst ! Girls !"

They turned around and gaped in suprise, both taken aback, a mix of joy and confusion filling their eyes. Then only confusion remained :

\- "Mabel ?! ...But how ?" Candy asked.

\- "Didn't you just leave with your family?!" Grenda added

\- No I didn't. Well technically yes I did… I-I mean not me, no, but a clone of me, yes ! So… me but at the same time not me...

\- ...What…?

As Candy and Grenda both stared at their friend even more confused than before, Mabel facepalmed as she realised she wasn't making any sense.

'_Dipper could have done it_' she thought to herself. Seeing that her friends still waited for an explanation, she took a deep breath, and finally explained everything to them. What had truly happened the night Dipper's body was stolen, showing them the note Bill had left, telling them about her theory, her plan. That she had sent a clone to take her place back home, and her current problem.

" ...And that's why I would need your help to stay in town. Grunkle Stan CAN'T know about this."

Both girls stayed silent at first. Soon, Candy was the first to speak up :

\- Mabel...are you certain this..theory is even true? About Dipper?

\- What do you mean?

\- "It's just-...Don't take this the wrong way but… this note you're trusting… It was left by your brother's _killer._" Candy elaborated.

\- "He probably just left it to make you suffer…" Grenda added.

Mabel fell silent as her friend made her point :

"Are you really going to risk everything for false hopes?"

Through clenched teeth, the young girl retorted :

\- " Don't you dare say that! Dipper is still somewhere, I know it! I will find him ! After everything he gave up for me, I _have_ to save him…"

Her sudden anger faded away, her voice pleading :

"Please...I'm begging you. Help me...I have no one else…"

They exchanged concerned looks, but eventually, gave in. As they each put one hand on their friend's shoulders, Candy and Grenda nodded :

\- "...We'll help you, Mabel."

Her eyes lit with hope, as she hugged her friends.

\- T-Thanks you...You have no idea how much it means to me...

Even though they both had doubt in her beliefs, it was probably better to stay around and watch over her than leaving her all alone in the forest in her current emotional state.  
Grenda offered Mabel to stay over at her house, but Mabel refused, she didn't want to be more of a burden to her friends. So instead, they decided to set camp nearby her friend's house, just in case. They would help her to set her tent and bring her everything she'd need

Nervously, Mabel ended up admitting to her friends :

\- " You know girls...I know that I-...That all of this sounds crazy… But even if I can't be certain that Dipper is still here… I have to try...For him. I'd never forgive myself for not trying...

Grenda didn't give an answer, unsure of what to say, but Candy did after a few minutes, thoughtfully :

\- "If your theory is true, and that Dipper just doesn't know how to make himself visible to us… Maybe another ghost could teach him?

Mabel's eyes filled with hope as she raised her gaze to the black haired girl.

\- "Oh my gosh...Candy you're a genius! We just need to find a ghost who'll help us to communicate with Dipper !"

\- "Trying to talk to dead people? That sounds reasonable enough, I'm in!" Grenda approved.

\- "Maybe we could hold some sort of séance to try to summon spirits?" Candy then suggested.

Mabel cringed when hearing the word "summon". It brought her back memories of Gideon summoning Bill. She didn't want to take any chance to accidentally summon her brother's killer. She shook her head, another possibility coming to her mind :

\- "…Or we could just go and meet one of them."

\- "...I'm not sure that's a good idea Mabel...Those who are roaming the Earth often are vengeful spirits." Candy objected.

"At least, that's what TV has taught me.." she added.

\- "...But that would be a lot faster than preparing some séance !"

Mabel's tone let Candy and Grenda know that she had made up her mind. It wasn't open for debate. They both looked at each other, silently agreeing to respect her decision for now, not wanting to risk Mabel facing danger on her own. After a brief silence, Grenda asked :

\- "So…Where can we even find a ghost around here?"

Mabel first thought of the elderly ghosts from the closed convenience store. As she was about to brought them up, Candy spoke first :

\- "Actually, I remember reading about a haunted mansion not too far from here."

\- "Really?"

\- "Yes, it's a really old house that was burned down long ago, people say no one has dared enter the place ever since because it's haunted."

Mabel didn't hesitate, adjusting the hat on her head as she declared :

\- "In that case, let's go meet a scary ghost, girls!"

Candy and Grenda nodded. The girls now had to prepare themselves, hoping to be successful in their search for this mysterious haunted house…

* * *

_A/N : Hello, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I'm so glad for all reviews and following this story brought and I hope you'll stick to this story until the end. _

_When I wrote this story, it soon became clear that I couldn't work the rest of the story without adding an OC, as it didn't make sense for some characters of the show to take a part in the story. This OC will soon arrive, so I hope you won't mind (I know lots of people don't like stories with OCs).  
__English isn't my native language so please forgive my grammar errors._

_Until next time !_


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